Stop the Fishy Aftertaste of Fish Oil Supplements

Get the good from omega-3 supplements without the fishy taste.

| By Ellen Fix

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Don’t let your inflammation-fighting fish oil supplements linger on a kitchen shelf because it causes fishy burps. There are ways to minimize this unpleasant problem and still get your helping of omega-3 essential fatty acids.

Keep the bottle in the freezer.

When a fish oil capsule is frozen, the fish oil is broken down in the stomach more slowly, which can reduce the aftertaste.

Choose capsules with an enteric coating.

Brands, such as Kirkland Signature and Nature’s Way, offer capsules with enteric coating, which prevents them from being digested until they reach the small intestine.

Eat and supplement.

Take your fish oil capsules with a meal, and try dividing your daily dose in two so your stomach has less to process at once.

Stick to quality brands.

“Cheap fish oil is just as likely to be rancid as cheap fish,” says Jonny Bowden, PhD, author of The Healthiest Meals on Earth (Fair Winds Press, 2008). Break open a capsule; if it smells like rotting fish, it’s rancid.

Look for lipase.

Products containing lipase, an enzyme that helps digest fats, may help prevent the annoying fishy reflux.